There's point-to-point racing at Horseheath on Sunday

HORSEHEATH, one of Britain’s top Point-To-Point courses, begins its three-meeting 2012 programme with its first-ever Sunday fixture, the Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace-organised event, this weekend.

A total of 120 horses have been entered for a seven-race programme which gets underway at noon with a Hunts Club Members Race for which there are 11 possible combatants and runs through until 3.25pm, when there are 23 possible runners in an Open Maiden Race.

The highlight should be the Men’s Open Race which features a number of high class performers among its 18 entries.

Top of that list is Cloudy Lane, who finished eighth in last year’s Grand National and, dropping down in class, was runner-up in a hot hunter chase at Newbury on January 18.

His opponents here could include My Flora, who might have finished in front of him in that Newbury contest but for falling at the second last, course winner Shillingstone – the 2008 Cheltenham Foxhunter second, Bon Accord and The Piper’s Son, who has won five of his 12 career starts and has a fine first time out record.

The Ladies Open also has 18 engaged and jockey Angela Rucker has a strong hand here with a pair of horses, Petit Lord and Sagalyrique, who have both twice run well in defeat in similar company already this season.

The 21-entry Novice Riders Race could feature the return to pointing of Arnold Layne, who won at this venue in 2007 and went on to score five times under rules.

Horseheath is four miles west of Haverhill (post code CB21 4QF) with easy access straight off the A1307. Admission will be charged at £10 per head with under 17’s free.

With low temperatures forecast there is a chance that the meeting could fall foul of the frost.

Regular updates of the latest condition of the course can be found by calling Talking Point on 09068 446061 or logging on to the forum of the East Anglian Point-To-Point website at www.pointingEA.com.